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Item A close critical look of India's National Mental Health Survey 2016(Indian J. Psychiatry, 2023) Rajeshkrishna P. Bhandary; Soyuz John; Anil Kumar M. Nagaraj; Samir K. Praharaj; Chythra R. Rao; Muralidhar M. Kulkarni; Sheena K. AgarwalThe National Mental Health Survey 2016 (NMHS 2016) was a large epidemiological study, one of its kind, conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru to overcome the shortcomings of the previous surveys. The detailed report of the study is available in two parts- 'mental health systems' and 'prevalence, pattern and outcomes'. Though done comprehensively, there are some inevitable limitations. The private sector, a substantial health care provider in the country was not a participant in the survey. Though MINI version 6.0 is a standard and structured instrument, it does not cover many commonly encountered mental illnesses like somatoform disorders. Further, the methodology of the survey makes it difficult for an accurate calculation of the prevalence of individual major psychiatric disorders. The survey has been appraised using a standard checklist for prevalence studies. The detailed qualitative data has not been shared in the report. The contribution of the traditional indigenous systems of healthcare and accessibility of services in rural areas have not been elaborated. Thus, the need for a comprehensive and culturally sensitive assessment tool, involvement of the private sector, and enhancing funding provision to improve the infrastructure are emphasized as future directions for the subsequent phases of the survey.Item A model for digital mental healthcare: Its usefulness and potential for service delivery in low- and middle-income countries(Indian J. Psychiatry, 2019) Savita Malhotra; Subho Chakrabarti; Ruchita ShahBackground: Using digital technology to deliver mental health care can possibly serve as a viable adjunct or alternative to mainstream services in lessening the mental health gap in a large number of resource deficient and LAMI countries. Conventional models of telepsychiatric services available so far, however, have been inadequate and ineffective, as these address only a small component of care, and rely on engagement of specialists who are grossly insufficient in numbers. Aim: To describe an innovative digital model of mental health care, enabling and empowering the non-specialists to deliver high quality mental health care in remote areas. Methods: The model is powered by an online, fully automated clinical decision support system (CDSS), with interlinked modules for diagnosis, management and follow-up, usable by non-specialists after brief training and minimal supervision by psychiatrist, to deliver mental health care at remote sites. Results: The CDSS has been found to be highly reliable, feasible, with sufficient sensitivity and specificity. This paper describes the model and initial experience with the digital mental health care system deployed in three geographically difficult and remote areas in northern hill states in India. The online system was found to be reasonably comprehensive, brief, feasible, user-friendly, with high levels of patient satisfaction. 2594 patients assessed at the three remote sites and the nodal center represented varied diagnoses. Conclusions: The digital model described here has the potential to serve as an effective alternative or adjunct for delivering comprehensive and high quality mental health care in LAMI countries like India in the primary and secondary care settings.Item A bird's eye view of the mental health systems in India(Indian J. Psychiatry, 2023) Satish Suhas; Banavaram A. Arvind; Gautham M. Sukumar; Pradeep S. Banandur; Lakshmi P. Nirisha; Channaveerachari N. Kumar; Vivek Benegal; Girish N. Rao; Mathew Varghese; Gopalkrishna GururajBackground:A staggering 85% of the global population resides in low- and middle-income countries (LAMICs). India stands as an exemplary pioneer in the realm of mental health initiatives among LAMICs, having launched its National Mental Health Program in 1982. It is imperative to effectively evaluate mental health systems periodically to cultivate a dynamic learning model sustained through continuous feedback from mental healthcare structures and processes.Materials and Methods:The National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) embarked on the Mental Health Systems Assessment (MHSA) in 12 representative Indian states, following a pilot program that contextually adapted the World Health Organization's Assessment Instrument for Mental Health Systems. The methodology involved data collection from various sources and interviews with key stakeholders, yielding a set of 15 quantitative, 5 morbidity, and 10 qualitative indicators, which were employed to encapsulate the functional status of mental health systems within the surveyed states by using a scorecard framework.Results:The NMHS MHSA for the year 2015-16 unveiled an array of indices, and the resultant scorecard succinctly encapsulated the outcomes of the systems' evaluation across the 12 surveyed states in India. Significantly, the findings revealed considerable interstate disparities, with some states such as Gujarat and Kerala emerging as frontrunners in the evaluation among the surveyed states. Nevertheless, notable gaps were identified in several domains within the assessed mental health systems.Conclusion:MHSA, as conducted within the framework of NMHS, emerges as a dependable, valid, and holistic mechanism for documenting mental health systems in India. However, this process necessitates periodic iterations to serve as critical indicators guiding the national mental health agenda, including policies, programs, and their impact evaluation.